Kelvin Grove State College - Flying Start

The Kelvin Grove State College (KGSC) Flying Start building is part of the Queensland Government initiative to introduce year 7 students into state high schools for the first time in 2015.  This project is a very significant addition to the KGSC Campus and was seen by our practice as an opportunity to design a building that was nurturing for the new young cohort, while also integrating students with the existing school.

The available site wrapped around steep terrain falling from L’Estrange Terrace on the north and an internal access road on the west.  The resultant “L” shape plan is a single room thick solution that offers excellent cross ventilation and natural day lighting to all teaching spaces.  Circulation is on the east and south.  West and north facing windows are shaded by bold stripped external sun shading screens.

Connections back to the existing school are achieved at mid level adjacent the existing access road and via a high level bridge link to the adjacent 3 level teaching block to the west.

The multi-storey solution (6 levels staggered around the “L” plan) provides a feeling of “Opportunity and Refuge”.  The nurturing plan offers views across the wings as well as expansive city views to the east.  From a pedagogical view it is desirable to provide young students with wider views of their surroundings.  The plan form also created an opportunity for a landscaped court between the open arms of the 2 wings.

This building contains 18 General Learning Areas, 2 collaborative learning areas, a Special Education Unit, Staff room, amenities and an undercroft and a water tank farm.  The programme was accommodated in a 6 storey building that steps around the bank to maximise the number of ground level connections.

Due to our client’s concerns about a tight time frame, budget and difficult site, we promoted a fully precast concrete solution.  Floor beams, planks, columns and core walls were all precast off site.  This enabled the structure to be erected quickly with installation of lightweight infill walls and fitout following.  Selected precast panels incorporated “firecracker” red coloured concrete to articulate the façade.  Precast blade columns provided additional elevational relief and rhythm.

External walls and roofs are Colorbond metal, areas that can be maintained from floor level are clad in painted compressed FC.  Our object was to provide a new facility that would have low maintenance costs as state schools have limited maintenance budgets.

Careful detailing of galvanised steel and powder coated aluminium external screens provide a degree of refinement to the facades.

The curved brick entry façade is a reference to the curved façade of the 1950’s Administration building (200 metres east along L’Estrange Tce) and red and cream colours compliment the existing palette of colours in the existing campus.  The school brief requested a design that was sympathetic to the existing campus while demonstrating that KGSC is a modern and progressive college.

The building is excellent value for money, is environmentally sustainable, and provides an asset to the school and local community.


Biscoe Wilson Architects are specialist school architects. We enjoy working with our education sector clients to produce solutions that support the teaching philosophy and site constraints of each school.

Architectural Team | Robert Biscoe, Marion Wilson, Winson Leung, Joelie Vinall-Clark, Graham Anderson, Anita James

Builder | Hutchinson Builders

Structural Engineer | Farr Engineers

Photographer | Anne Langdon Photography